


Where the Sun Shines Down

by WriterRose



Category: SpongeBob SquarePants (Cartoon), The SpongeBob Musical - Various/Anthony & Coulton/Jarrow
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Pre-Canon, Gen, Prequel, and except the sb&gary obvs, but someone had to do it, esp the patbob, i did an embarrassing amount of research to be as aligned to canon as possible, relationships can be taken as pre-romantic, so much implied patbob, what a loser i am, wow a serious sb fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-18
Updated: 2017-09-18
Packaged: 2018-12-31 09:03:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12129096
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WriterRose/pseuds/WriterRose
Summary: Bobby Porous is a kid with dreams. Some people may not think they're verybigdreams, but they're dreams, nonetheless. And they're Bobby's dreams.(Or, a SpongeBob Human AU that takes place before the beginning of the Pilot/Musical.)





	Where the Sun Shines Down

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote over 7K for a SB fic. Oops.

He’d always known he was at least a little different than the other kids he knew growing up. For one thing, everyone his age had big dreams. They wanted to be firemen, police officers, big-time movie stars, reporters. But Bobby, Bobby always wanted to be something that was a little less glamorous, in others’ perspectives.

Bobby wanted to be a fry cook. But not just any fry cook. He wanted to be a fry cook at the greatest restaurant in the entire world; the Krusty Krab.

“So you see, Mr. and Mrs. Porous, this is why I worry for Bobby.” his elementary school teacher started gently. “All the students dream big but Bobby dreams a little...below average.” she finished, not quite sure how she should put it.

“Is this a problem?” his mother questioned, her tone filled with worry, yes, but there was also a slight defensiveness to it that only a mother could manage all in one.

“Well, in any other child, I’d say that Bobby’s imagination and creativity are being hindered. But he's the happiest boy I’ve ever met! He plays, colors, and does all his work, just like any other child. In fact, I’d say he's my best student.”

“Then what’s the issue, if you don't mind my asking?” dear old Dad questioned, the mild mannered man’s tone not quite as harsh as his mother’s, but slightly affronted.

“The other children don't really understand Bobby’s infatuation with this, uh, Krusty Krab. And I'm afraid it’s lead to some alienation.”

“We’ll admit,” his father began, laying a freckled hand atop his mother’s for a moment. “we don't quite understand it either.”

“We took a trip one day to Bikini Bottom, that lovely beach town, and we stopped at a little fast food joint.” his mother elaborated. “Bobby just went crazy for the food there.”

Bobby would never forget that trip. It had been the best three days of his life, traveling the town, seeing the sights. Bikini Bottom was filled with people from all over the world, of all shapes and sizes. It's was so large that along with its natural wonders it had a bustling city life. Bobby and his parents visited the Kelp Forest, filled with plant life as far as the eye could see, greenery waving in the breeze like seaweed being pulled gently by the tide. They spent a full day splashing in the cool water and playing in the sunny sand at Goo Lagoon and spent an afternoon chasing and catching butterflies with beautiful tendrils dangling from their wings at Jellyfish Fields. On their final day, they visited the Krusty Krab. Everyone in town was talking about it, saying it was a Bikini Bottom must-go. On that day, Bobby had his first taste of the Krabby Patty, and he had never been the same.

Every summer after that, Bobby and his parents would travel back to the ocean paradise of Bikini Bottom and Bobby would fall more and more in love with the town and everything else about it. 

A lot of people didn't understand Bobby’s devotion to the Krusty Krab or the seaside town it resided in, so he ended up with a lot of time to himself. But that was okay. It gave him more time for activities that the other kids didn't like joining in on, like blowing bubbles, catching butterflies, or playing fry cook. 

His parents shared some curt words with his teacher before his mother gathered Bobby under her arm from the corner he'd been playing in and escorted him out of the room. When they were in the parking lot, both his parents squatted down to meet face to face with him, solemn looks on their faces. 

“Dear,” his mother started in a sugar glazed voice that instantly brought a sense of calm over the young boy. It was a tone of voice the woman used when there was something particularly upsetting either her or someone else she cared about. “you know you're a special boy?”

Bobby wasn't really sure how to answer, so he gave a small nod and a low “Mhm.”

“And you really love Bikini Bottom and that restaurant?” his father now asked.

“More than anything.” Bobby answered automatically. “‘Cept you guys, of course!”

The worried looks both his parents had dissipated at his answer and morphed into smiles. Bobby was then quickly pulled into a tight embraced by both his parents.

“Good.” Mom declared.

“Never stop chasing your dreams, son.” Dad stated. “No matter what others might say.”

Bobby was still a little confused, but he returned his parents’ tight embrace earnestly and truthfully replied “I won’t.”

Bobby didn't really understand why his parents were so upset at his teacher after their little meeting. She must've said something very bad if she made his parents this distraught. They were extra attentive to Bobby after that meeting, making sure he was never on his own for too long and always inquired about his day at school and ask _“how are the other kids treating you?”_ and _“did you do anything fun with anyone?”_. Bobby sometimes felt bad that he didn't have any good answers other than _“I just played by myself”_ or _“the teacher said I did a good job”_. When Bobby gave those answers, his parents would get those sad looks on their faces. It confused him, but if his parents were sad, then Bobby was too. 

The moods of every Porous were quickly getting more and more grim until one day, Mom and Dad pulled Bobby out of school early and took him for a long drive in the car. They stopped in an unfamiliar town, but his parents seemed to know their way around. They went to a park where his Dad pushed him back and forth on the swings as Bobby gave demands of _“Higher! Higher!”_ and from her spot on a nearby bench his mother would giggle and say _“Any higher and you’ll reach the sky, my little jellyfish.”_

Most children were in school, but Bobby got to play with some kids who were a little younger than him and not in school yet. Eventually, his parents scooped him up and they went window shopping for what seemed like hours. If Bobby’s eyes lingered on something for a little longer than strictly normal, his parents would take him into the store and let him take a closer look at whatever garnered his gaze. Sometimes, they even bought it for him! Bobby ended up with a few new toys that day and had some delicious ice cream, but most importantly, he even adopted the tiniest kitten that Bobby had ever seen!

“It's not good to spoil him so much, dear.” his mother half-heartedly chided his father as he signed some papers at the front desk of the adoption agency. 

“It's good to have a friend at home. No matter how furry.” his father joked.

That was the best day ever. Even though Bobby wasn't quite sure why it happened, he sure was glad that it did. He got to spend more time with his parents, play with some children, and he met Gary! 

The effects of that day lasted a long time and all seemed alright again. Bobby had forgotten all about his small desire to have a friend at school.

That is, until a little while later on Career Day, where Bobby found himself seated separately from the other kids. There were tables for those interested in business, industry, meteorology, marine biology, teaching, and so on…

“A cook?” the instructor in charge of table placement asked. “So you want to be a chef?” he grinned.

“No, sir.” young Bobby respectfully replied. “I wanna be a fry cook at the greatest restaurant there is, the Krusty Krab!” 

After the instructor was done bursting into laughter-induced tears, he asked, “That third-rate grease joint in the Bikini Bottom? Hah! Way to dream big, kid.” he commented sarcastically. 

After Bobby thanked the man, he was sent over to the table labeled ‘ _Undecided_ ’, where there sat one other child, in the middle of nap time, it seemed. 

After a little poking, Bobby managed to wake the other boy up. He was a large kid by the name of Patrick Star, who had also been sent to the table after stating his career choice of ‘ _a layabout_ ’.

And that was how Bobby met his best friend in the entire world.

\---

Patrick seemed to like all the same stuff that Bobby did. He was also big and strong, where Bobby was a little on the small and weak side, so Bobby was a little drawn to him. This was due to the fact that Patrick was a whole two years older than Bobby. His parents explained that Patrick was held back in school because the material was too difficult for him. Mom wasn’t too happy that Bobby was hanging out with the older boy. She thought he might be a ‘ _bad influence_ ’. However, it was after Bobby invited Patrick to a Porous family gathering did his mother change her mind.

While the adults were all off chatting in another room, Bobby was showing Patrick his bubble-blowing skills when the bottle was suddenly knocked out of his hands.

“Well, if it isn’t lil’ BabyBobby.” his cousin Jack sneered as he loomed over Bobby. 

Bobby frowned and meekly began to gather his bubble wand and bottle, which was now spilled all over his grandma’s rug. “Uncle Blue said you weren’t allowed to pick on me anymore, BlackJack…” Bobby informed in a low voice, using the nickname that Jack insisted Bobby use.

The older boy scoffed. “Last I checked, that crazy geezer isn’t here. Or the boss of me.” he added, almost as if he were hesitant to say it. With a kick, BlackJack rolled the bottle away from Bobby’s reach, the rest of the soapy liquid spilling out of the container and further soaking his grandmother’s rug.

“Hey! Those were my friend’s bubbles.” Patrick informed with a frown, breaking the silence he held for most of the trip. Bobby found that Pat wasn't really that talkative of a guy. Sometimes we would talk a lot about certain things that interested him, like the new MermaidMan and BarnacleBoy episode or food, but it was often times that Bobby did most of the talking and Pat would just listen and offer a sound of agreement or acknowledgement. Patrick was a good listener.

“So what, Pinkie?” BlackJack questioned with a sneer. “Lil BabyBobby here doesn’t mind sharing with the floor now, does he?” the dark haired boy mocked as he gave a swift kick to Bobby’s side, causing him to land on the floor with a thud. It wasn't a very hard kick, more of a hard shove with a leg, but it didn't take much to knock Bobby over. There wouldn't be a bruise left where he was kicked, but Bobby did give a sharp cry as he landed hard on the floor, tears springing to his eyes more so in embarrassment over getting pushed around in front of his friend than from pain. He had to be strong though. It'd only get worse if he made a noise to alert an adult. Bobby knew from experience.

“Awww, is the little baby gonna cry?” BlackJack teased the smaller boy as Bobby tried desperately not to let his tears spill. 

Unbeknownst to the boys, Bobby’s grandma had been walking past the door to the room where the boys were and had seen the whole thing. She alerted the other adults of what she had seen but before any of them could react to the older cousin’s bullying, Patrick stood up from his spot on the ground.

“Hey! I thought I said that was my friend?” he questioned, stretching to his full height and squaring his shoulders. It was just now that Bobby realized that Patrick was actually a whole lot bigger than BlackJack, as he menacingly loomed over the other boy. 

BlackJack scoffed, but he looked noticeably nervous. “And like I said, so what?” he growled as he threw a quick punch Patrick’s way.

All the adults were now scrambling to intercept but it seemed none of them would make it on time. But it didn’t matter. Patrick was seemingly ready for the punch, as at the same time that BlackJack’s fist connected with Patrick’s belly, the boy seemed to extend his gut, launching the other boy’s fist off of his stomach and sending BlackJack to the floor. Bobby and the adults stared in amazement as Patrick stood unaffected by the punch and crossed his meaty arms across his chest. 

“No one hurts my friend.” he simply declared before picking a shocked Bobby off the floor by the arm and gently depositing him on his feet. 

Once the kids explained the situation, BlackJack got into a whole lot of trouble with the adults. He wasn’t allowed to have any of Grandma’s freshly baked cookies and had to sit in time out for the rest of the visit. Bobby’s little rugburn he received on his arm was carefully treated with a kiss and Grandma discreetly gave Patrick an extra helping of dessert after dinner.

That was the day Patrick was fully accepted as an honorary member of the Porous family.

But not only was Patrick big and strong, but he was so smart! Bobby could ask him about anything and Patrick would have an answer.

“Why do you think they put us at ‘ _Undecided_ ’ on Career Day?” Bobby asked one day while they were in the middle of playing the newly revised game of ‘fry cook plus customer’. 

Patrick hummed for a moment as he observed the play-doh made burger that Bobby had just served him. “It’s pronounced ‘ _you-ndecided_ ’, Bobby.” he answered, shoving the patty in his mouth and chewing as thoughtfully as a food critic before swallowing. “Ya know, like ‘ _universal_ ’. It means our career decisions were the best decisions ever made in the entire universe. They were so good that they couldn't offer us any job better.”

After that, everything became so much clearer to Bobby. He was just treated differently because he already decided on his future. That's why all the other kids didn't want to hang out with him that much; he must've been too mature for them! 

Bobby spent the next few years of his life working to make sure he never let anyone who believed in his future down. Everyone believed that Bobby’s goals were fantastic, and it was his duty to see it through! 

He still continued to indulge in the activities that he enjoyed, like bubble blowing and, as he and his father liked to call it, jellyfishing and things were much more enjoyable now that he had a best friend at school.

The family trips to Bikini Bottom with his parents became yearly, and Pat joined them a handful of times.

\---

The years passed and life moved on. Bobby still dreamed of working at the Krusty Krab and he was still working towards it. When he was 14, he got his first job bussing tables and washing dishes at the local burger joint in his town. It was no Krusty Krab and it wasn't quite a highly esteemed position, but it was a start. He and Patrick remained friends, if anything they just became closer. Pat would come visit Bobby at his job and the owner never had the will to complain about the large kid taking up a table considering how much food the boy ate. 

The yearly trips to the Bikini Bottom with his parents slowly winded down until eventually his parents didn't have the time or desire to go anymore, having been hundreds of times. They did give Bobby permission to head down for a weekend or two with Pat on one of the many busses that went into town. The two had the freedom to explore and do whatever they wanted. On one of the trips, Bobby decided to show Pat the Krusty Krab first hand. 

“Feast your eyes, Pat.” he declared from his position ducked behind a large boulder in front of the restaurant. “There she is in all her glory. The finest eating establishment ever established for eating.”

Patrick continued to munch on his Krabby Patty to-go meal as he observed his friend. “I don’t get it,” he started with a full mouth of food. He swallowed and then continued “how come we never eat inside?”

“W-Well, we wouldn’t wanna bother the fine members of the Krusty Krew now, would we?” Bobby stuttered back in reply.

Patrick grunted in response. “I guess. Ya’know if you wanna work there, you’re probably gonna have to actually go inside?”

“I know.” he responded a little too quickly. 

For how many times that Bobby’s eaten a meal there, he’s only actually gone in a couple of times. He supposed it makes him a bit sad/nervous, entering the place. What if he never accomplishes his goal? What if he’ll only stand in the Krusty Krab as a patron? What if he never makes fry cook? Heck, he’s not even a waiter at his current place of employment…

“Hey, Bobby.” Patrick spoke, breaking the smaller boy out of his thoughts. Without prompting, the pink haired boy continued. “If you wanna work here, does that mean you’re gonna move here?” 

Bobby paused. “Uh, yeah. I’d have to.” he answered, a little miffed he never really connected the phrases ‘ _Bikini Bottom_ ’ and ‘ _moving to_ ’ together.

“Could you really do that? Leave home and your parents behind?” Patrick questioned. 

Huh. Guess he never really thought about it that way before? Bobby took a little while to think this over, before Pat continued speaking without waiting for Bobby’s answer.

“I could.” he confessed. “I like this place. Everyone’s so laid back here. Nobody’s on your back, trying to get you to do things their way. You can be whoever you want here.” Patrick finished with a far-off, peaceful look on his face.

Bobby never forgot that conversation with Patrick. If anything, it just motivated him more. Eventually, he’d have to leave his home behind and move to Bikini Bottom and start a life of his own. Bobby still had a few years left in school, but it never hurt to start preparing. Bobby started working twice as hard at his job, took on some extra hours, worked just as hard at school, and saved up his money.

Eventually, Bobby moved to waiting tables and he earned quite a bit in tips. When his boss inquired about his future goals and Bobby responded with how he’d like to be a cook one day, his boss tested him out in the kitchen behind the grill. Bobby was ecstatic and whipped up the best food he could make. Customers were happy and Bobby was happy. That is until Patrick broke some news to him.

\---

“You’re leaving town?!” Bobby questioned in horror, voice ringing throughout the empty restaurant that his boss trusted him to lock up.

“My parents kicked me out.” Patrick informed after he took a slurp of his drink. “Something about how I wasn’t ‘ _applying myself_ ’ in school enough.”

“Well, Pat, I don’t mean this in a mean way or anything, but you did flunk out.”

“I told you, Bobby, I’m not book smarts.” he grunted, slamming a meaty fist on the table. “People in that place were only trying to get me down.”

“I know, I know. But moving outta town? Why not just come and stay with me and my folks? They’d be happy to take you in!”

Patrick waved him off. “No. I’d only be cramping your style. Besides, a buddy of mine offered me a place to stay, free of charge! Something about investing in real estate but not having enough time to live there or something. I dunno. He asked if I wanted to keep the place up and running and I said yeah.” 

Bobby looked forlorn. Sure, this was great news for Pat. He never was good in school and was a simple guy who liked simple things. He adjusted easily to change. He’d be fine on his own. But Bobby still had a year and a half left in school before he graduated. What was he supposed to do without his best friend?

Patrick noticed his friend’s sad look and stood up from his seat, crumbs falling off his belly, and lifted Bobby into a crushing hug. “Don’t worry, buddy. You can visit me as much as you want and I’ll call you loads. This is a great thing for me.”

“I know, I know…” Bobby sniffed, offering his friend a couple of pats on the back as best he could, eyes stinging.

“Besides, I haven’t told you the best part.”

“What?”

“The place I’m staying’s in Bikini Bottom!”

“WHAT?!” Bobby whooped, practically launching out of Pat’s arms to place his hands on his shoulders, shaking the other back and forth. “Really?”

The day Patrick left town was a sad one, but Bobby was hopeful for what the future held. He’d visit Pat in his ‘ _basement loft_ ’, as the pink-haired teen liked to call it. It was a large condo building split into three sections/houses. Neither Pat nor Bobby were sure who lived at the very top floor, but the neighbor directly above Patrick seemed like a nice guy. He was a good few years older than Patrick but apparently he worked at the Krusty Krab, which lead to Bobby asking him lots and lots of questions about the place every time that he’d visit. Pretty soon, Bikini Bottom felt like home and the thought of moving there seemed less daunting.

\---

Time passed and graduation came and went. After lots of hard work, Bobby had earned his high school diploma. Pat came back into town for the ceremony and crushed Bobby in a large hug before excitingly informing him that the apartment complex above his neighbor was now vacant and that Pat had informed the owner that Bobby was interested in buying. All he had to do was come up with the money by the end of the summer. 

So Bobby tripled his work hours, saved all the money from his graduation gifts, and took on whatever odd jobs he could in his spare time to save up to buy the apartment. 

On his last day working at his local burger joint, his boss pulled him aside and lead him into one of the rooms they reserved for large groups or parties. When Bobby and his boss entered the dark room, the lights suddenly flicked on and a group of people shouted out “CONGRATULATIONS, BOBBY!” 

The teen looked around, eyes widened in shock. Inside were all his coworkers, his parents, even some long time patrons of the restaurant and Patrick, all with large grins on their faces, presents stacked in the corner and a huge cake sitting on one of the tables!

“What’s all this for?” Bobby questioned, baffled.

“Consider it a late graduation/birthday/going-away present.” his boss answered, gesturing to one of the celebrators.

The head waitress walked up to Bobby and presented him with a white envelope. “All of us here pitched in.” she informed. “This should help cover the rest of the money for your apartment.”

Bobby stared in amazement. “I can’t take this!”

“Nonsense!” his boss huffed. “There’s never been anyone more deserving of it. You were the best employee I’ve ever had. And though I’m sad to see you go, your talents are wasted here, kid. Bikini Bottom’s lucky to be getting someone like you.”

“Here, here!” the restaurant cheered.

Bobby embarrassingly felt his eyes stinging as he grinned from ear to ear. He was sad to leave this place behind, but so grateful that he got to spend what time he could here and in this town. But it was time for Bobby to move on.

\---

By the second week of August, Bobby had his stuff all packed away and as the car was being loaded, he sat on the floor of his childhood bedroom, looking around forlornly.

Gary, now fully grown, walked into the room to sit in front of the teen. “Meow.”

“Hi, Gar-Bear.” he greeted, running his hand smoothly over the head of his bestest friend. 

Gary let out a soft purr before voicing an inquisitive “Meow?”

“I guess I’m just sad to leave. But I’m happy. I’m finally doing it. After all these years, I’ll finally be a Bikini Bottom citizen.”

“ _Meow._ ”

“Yeah, yeah. _We’ll_ be Bikini Bottom citizens.” he corrected with a breathy laugh. “Thanks again for agreeing to come. This is a whole lot less scary when I know I have a friend with me.”

Gary rolled his red eyes. “Meowr.”

Translation: _’As if I’d be anywhere else.’_

_Humans could be so dumb sometimes._

\---

Move-in day was rather hectic. Patrick and his parents helped him unload the car and arrange the furniture - but Bobby usually ended up moving stuff around anyway, especially things that Pat set-up; that guy only had like four pieces of furniture while Bobby usually liked to organize and decorate his rooms in a cozy manner. 

His parents had long since left, wanting to beat the rush hour traffic but not before sharing many hugs and kisses and a teary goodbye. And Pat had gone downstairs to his own place not too long ago. Bobby had since been nitpicking things. It was kinda funny. He's been imagining his life in Bikini Bottom for so long that he'd always kinda pictured the way he'd be living. Working as a fry cook, taking in the city sights, enjoying the natural wonders...He just never pictured the way his house would look. 

The place Bobby was living was separated into three sections, though two of those seconds had multiple floors. Patrick had basement and garage access, so any larger belonging would have to be stored in the mess that the man had accumulated over the years, but luckily Bobby didn't even have a license yet, let alone a car. 

The tenant in the middle section was named Edward Tentler. He was a rather tall and lanky fellow who looked to be in his thirties or so. Patrick had told him that Edward had lived there for a long time, longer than he knew at least. He was a bit of a grouch according to the former owner of the building but Bobby wouldn't really know. He's only interacted with Edward a handful of times in the years Pat has lived here and the man’s always been friendly enough. 

As far as Bobby knew, Edward had access to two floors plus the outside area.

( As soon as Patrick left, his doorbell rang. When Bobby opened the door it was to see Edward standing there with some kind of baked good. 

“Jam tarts.” the man informed. “My mother’s recipe.”

“Geez, thanks, Edward!” 

“Well, what can I say? Momma didn't raise a shirker. It'd be… _unneighborly_ to not give a proper welcome. But don't think this means you have to stop by and return the favor. You don't. Please.” he added as made his way to the exit, only to stop himself short. “And the garden outside is currently occupied. There's a bare spot in the far corner if you _must_ use it but there was this new shipment of hydrangeas that just came in…”

Bobby smiled brightly and interjected, “It's all yours, Edward.” 

“Wonderful.” the older man sighed, as if relieved. )

Bobby’s new home was the top complex; two floors plus roof access which was very, very nice indeed. It had the most wonderful view of the main city lit up at night and scenic landscapes to admire in the daytime. 

Everything about Bobby’s new home was perfect, from the large library that Bobby is slowly but surely filling with books of his own, down to the ornate, pineapple-shaped doorknocker. 

Bobby loves it all. 

Now if only he could work up the courage to actually apply for a job somewhere…

\---

He knew there were plenty of places that were hiring, but Bobby just knew that any job he got in this town wouldn't have his heart in it. Not unless it was a job working at the Krusty Krab.

He took Gary for particularly long walks almost every evening, much to the cat’s annoyment. The walks were in part to relieve Bobby’s stress a bit but also to walk past the Krusty Krab and see if there was any sign in the window, looking for help.

The night he did see a ‘Help Wanted’ sign in the front window of the Krusty Krab, Bobby practically sprinted home, all but dragging Gary along.

There was still a little daylight left and Bobby could see a little garden light in Edward’s backyard, a telltale sign that Edward was still there doing some work.

“EDWARD! EDWARD!” he screeched, halfway down the street. 

Said man’s head peaked above his flower arrangements in curiosity and surprise. “Oh, god…” he muttered to himself upon realization of who was calling his name.

“ _EDWARD!_ ” he screeched again before he arrived in the backyard, unknowingly kicking some of the man’s gardening supplies out of the way. 

“What is it, Robert?” the man asked, exasperated. Great. He almost went a full day without running into either of his neighbors. He knew it was too good to be true. Everything was fine when it was just Patrick living in the basement. Edward practically never saw or spoke to the big guy; he was the best neighbor that Edward ever had. But Robert seemed to bring out the worse in Patrick; that is, the activeness and sociability in the naturally lazy man. Robert was practically oozing over-exuberance all the time that he had a habit of inffecting everyone with it. It made Edward a little nauseous, but mostly just exhausted.

Bobby panted, trying to gain his breath back. Man, was he outta shape. “I have to….to ask you...ask you something, Edward.”

“It couldn't wait till the morning? Or never?” he added.

“It's real important.”

The man sighed. Better to get it over with. “Well, what is it?”

“Is the Krusty Krab hiring?”

“What?” That was the question?

“I asked, is the Krusty Krab hiring?”

“Why do you ask?” he questioned back, eyes narrowing.

“I was just taking Gary for a walk when I saw a Help Wanted sign in the window. I never saw one of those before, at least not at the Krusty Krab.”

_Oh, well if that was it…_

Edward turned back to his gardening. “Mr. Krabs likes to hire long-term employees, ones he can trust. And under-pay…” he grumbled. “There was a...falling out with our old fry cook. He left yesterday.”

“Fry cook?” Bobby questioned. “So they're looking for a fry cook? Who will make the Krabby Patties in the meantime?”

“No one. We’re not open for business until we find a new cook. But that's not stopping Krabs from making me come in tomorrow…” he sighed irritatedly. 

“Not open for business!?” This was worse than he thought. “Thanks a bunch, Edward.” Bobby quickly thanked before he rushed away, presumably up the stairs to his own home.

“Yeah, sure…” Edward answered, not quite caring enough to piece together why his upstairs neighbor would inquire so frantically about a Help Wanted sign at his place of employment. 

He’d certainly regret it later.

\---

Instead of running up the stairs to his own apartment, Bobby found himself jogging down the stairs that led to Patrick’s place, as he usually did when he had an issue and needed to consult the smartest guy he knew. 

He burst the door open, only to reveal Patrick slouching on his couch, a common sight. Patrick didn’t even flinch upon Bobby’s loud entrance, he simply remained in his position and continued to watch the TV that displayed some loud action movie Bobby didn’t recognize, not that he could even try to place the name with all the thoughts that were running through his head.

“Patrick!” Bobby cried out. Pat’s head turned slightly in Bobby’s direction.

“Yeah…?” he responded distractedly. 

“I have a problem.” he admitted, fully stepping into the room, pacing nervously behind the couch. “Well, not really a problem. More like an opportunity. Or a moment that my whole life has been building up to since I was born and I don’t really know what to do…” he rambled, running his fingers through his blonde locks, jostling his neatly brushed hairdo.

“Uh-huh.” the larger man voiced, eyes still glued to the screen.

“I’m worried that if I don’t take the opportunity I’ll mess up everything about my whole life. That I’ll unravel the fabric of the space time continuum!” he shouted, hands flying into the air in exasperation. He felt jittery and anxious, like that one time he had a cup of coffee before school after a double shift at the restaurant after he organized the books at the local library before hand. Mom made him swear off doubling jobs and shifts on school nights. And coffee.

“Sounds important.” Patrick commented.

“I feel like it is…” Bobby sighed, shoulders visibly drooping. He trudged his way over to the couch, taking a seat next to his friend who was still facing towards the TV but did scoot over a bit to make room for the smaller man. “But...I’m also scared.” he found himself admitting. “I’m scared that if I do do it and I fail at it then....then everyone was wrong about me. That I was always wrong about me. Since the start.”

It seemed that something Bobby said finally struck a chord within Patrick, as he finally looked away from the TV and turned to his friend, confusion written all over his face. Noticing Bobby’s slackened posture and crestfallen expression, Patrick was flown for a loop and deeply worried. 

“What is it?” he asked vaguely. He admittedly didn’t hear most of what his friend said. Bobby talked so fast and so much sometimes that it was kind of hard to know everything he said, but he noticed his mannerisms. Bobby was always so expressive, in mind and body. When Bobby felt down, Pat felt down. When Bobby was happy, Pat was happy. It was as if Bobby had some kind of superpower to directly share his feelings with other people, like, psychically. It was strange, but also what attracted Patrick to Bobby in the first place. 

“I don’t know what to do.” Bobby informed, not looking up from the ground.

“No, I meant what happened?” he corrected.

“Oh.” Bobby breathed. He looked up from the ground and gave Pat a sheepish smile. “I guess I did never actually say what was wrong…” he laughed un-humorously. He took a deep breath in and as he exhaled he revealed, “The Krusty Krab is looking for a fry cook.”

“What? Really?” Pat exclaimed, jumping up from the couch, effortlessly lifting his friend into the air in appraisement. “Bobby, that's amazing! You're gonna be a fry cook at the Krusty Krab! I can't believe it!”

Bobby, a little winded from having his gravity swept from him so suddenly, looked away as he quietly muttered “I don't believe it either.”

“Huh?” Pat voiced, placing his friend on the floor. “Whaddya mean?”

“Well, I mean. I can’t believe that my chance to work at the Krusty Krab finally came. As the fry cook, no less.”

“So what's the problem?” Patrick questioned.

Bobby looked away again, unsure of himself. He rubbed his arm up and down, a nervous action as he pondered over what to say. Bobby knew how he felt, he just didn't know _why_. “I-I...I think I'm just nervous. I feel like I'm too scared to even apply for the job. But if I don't apply, then everything I've ever done’s been a waste.” Bobby plopped back down on the couch, hunched over as he gripped the cushion underneath him in a white-knuckled grip.

“So then go and apply.”

“That's the problem.” Bobby spoke. “I'm also scared that if I apply and d-don’t get the job then...then everything will still be a waste. I-If I fail then it means my parents were wrong, you were wrong, _I_ was wrong, everyone was wrong. About me. And my future.”

Bobby realized that he was shaking a little bit and his eyes were stinging, but he wasn't crying. Neptune, did he want to. But he didn't. He felt like if he started crying over something like this - _nothing_ \- he'd never stop. He'd waste his chance by drowning himself in his tears. 

“Heyyyy,” Patrick started, noticing the torment written on his best friend’s face. He knew that look. That look meant that Bobby was thinking about something way too hardly and that he was thinking about something that made him want to cry, curl up into a ball, shut himself away from others, or possibly a combination of all three. From the looks of things, it seemed to be the combo. And Pat hated the combo (the combination of actions, not combo meals, he loved those, especially when Bobby made them). “relax, buddy.” he soothed, laying a comforting and grounding hand upon his friend’s opposite to-him shoulder. He then pulled his friend closer to him until Bobby was fully resting on Pat’s own side. Then he started to rub his freckled arm up and down. Bobby really relied on touch to help him calm down sometimes. Pat didn't really mind being a personal comfort-blanket; it was simply one of the roles one had to assume when you wanted to be a good friend to Bobby. 

Bobby’s all about making others feel good. So much so that sometimes the ways to make the guy himself feel good could be a little hazy at first. Over the years, Pat’s learned that when Bobby’s down, there's nothing a little comfort contact can't fix. Like that time Gary got real sick and all the vets said he wouldn’t make it and Bobby felt so awful that he didn’t attend school that friday in order to be with his precious friend for a long weekend for what was possibly their last together. After school, Pat came by to see how he was doing and when Bobby opened the door, his eyes were red, tear tracks clear on his face. He sat with Bobby all night long, a comforting arm around his shoulder as they both watched over Gary as he lied in his carefully made nest of blankets and pillows on top of Bobby’s bed. Bobby was able to get a bit of sleep that night and when he woke, it was to the sight of Gary, awake and on his way to a speedy recovery that the vet described as miraculous. 

Or there was that time that Bobby did so poorly on a test after taking on extra shifts (before the incident in which he tried coffee). He was so exhausted from the previous day’s work that even Pat did better than him somehow. Their math teacher was a bitter man and didn’t particularly like Patrick all that much since he never tried, at all, in that class and yet somehow kept managing to pass. And he kinda despised Bobby by association. Bobby already felt bad about his poor performance, but their teacher decided to use him as an example of what a “no good slacker and dimwit” looks like and showed the test to the entire class. The jerk even put it on the projector. The teacher pretended to be anonymous, but everyone in the class could clearly see that showing through the thin line used to cross out the owner of the test, the name _Bobby Porous_ was scrawled in clean and clear handwriting. Some classmates snickered, some gave sighs of pity, but all Patrick noticed was the look of utter humiliation and self-hatred upon his friend’s face as it turned a deep scarlet and his eyes filled with tears. Pat saw red after that. Not a red of embarrassment but of rage. He was so mad that he actually knocked over and broke the projector and ended up getting suspended. But that was fine. He got off a little easy since Bobby came and vouched for him, trying to put the blame for the situation upon himself. After consulting with other students, the teacher was fired, as displaying a student’s work for mass scrutiny was against school policy, and Pat only got suspended for three days, since he _did_ damage school property. After the whole incident and the first time Pat had seen him since the principal’s office, Bobby came to Pat’s house, looking guilt-ridden and anguished. He confessed he felt responsible for Pat’s suspension, and after Pat informed him he’d get suspended a hundred times over for Bobby, the other boy gave him a tight and long hug and thanked him repeatedly, confessing that the stress he’s been under recently had been suffocating him. And if Pat felt like the cloth of his shirt above his shoulder was getting a little damp, he didn’t say anything.

“I wish I could relax.” Bobby spoke up, breaking Pat away from his memories. “But I just feel so...awful. But I’m also excited. I’m anxious, I guess?”

“That’s normal.” Patrick informed.

“I know. I want to apply - more than _anything_ \- but I’m scared of what would happen if I didn’t get the job. I’m scared of how I’d feel. Of what I’d do.”

“Well, worry about that if we get there. All you need to focus on is applying. You’ve had your resume made since you were, like, ten.”

“Yeah. But - “

“But, nothing!” Pat cut off. “It’s like that saying goes, _’you miss 100 percent of the shots you take_ ’.”

Bobby’s face fell. “What? That doesn’t…” he started weakly.

“Oh, wait.” Patrick interrupted again. “Sorry, it’s ‘ _100 percent of the shots you_ don’t _take_ ’.”

“Oh.” he sniffed. He pulled away from his friend and wiped underneath his eyes quickly to make sure there weren't any stray tears that slipped past his defenses. “Y’know, Pat. You’re right.” he smiled.

“I always am.” he grinned back.

\---

After a few more thanks and a cheery goodbye, Bobby returned to his own home. He pushed open the door to find Gary curled up on the couch, tired out from the walk. He shut the door behind him.

At the sound of the lock, Gary opened one eye, glaring at his companion a little sorely. 

“Meow.”

“Yeah, I’m sorry about that, Gar-Bear.” he apologized sheepishly for the hasty rush home.

“Meow?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Now. I was a little freaked out before.” he admitted as he walked over to the couch and sat down next to the feline. Gary got up from his curled position and moved closer to his companion, laying down and resting his back against Bobby’s thigh. Bobby automatically started to run his fingers through the cat’s soft fur as he continued to speak, “I guess I was just a little shocked. Like, I couldn’t believe what I saw.”

Gary purred. An acknowledgement. 

“Patrick helped. We talked it out. I’m going to apply for the fry cook position at the Krusty Krab tomorrow.” he continued. Saying didn’t make it feel anymore real. Bobby still couldn’t believe his chance finally came.

“Meow.” the cat voiced before jumping off the couch and making his way to the stairs and sitting down in front of them.

Bobby smiled. “You’re right, Gary. I better get well-rested for tomorrow.” he chimed, shutting off the lights and following his friend to the stairs. They both climbed the stairs, Gary reaching the top way before he did. The cat turned off to go inside the bedroom while Bobby went off into the bathroom to perform his nightly routine. He brushed his teeth, was sure to floss and use mouthwash after, and then quickly splashed some water in his face. After drying, he looked into the mirror, pausing at his reflection. He sighed.

“Well, Robert. This is it.” he spoke to his reflection. “Tomorrow could be bad...but it could also be the best day ever.” he reasoned. “Besides,” he started as he placed the towel back on the drying rack and turned back to his reflection with a smile. “any day spent in this town can’t be bad.”

After all, he’s in the world renowned Bikini Bottom.


End file.
